Arianna Huffington on Families & Children

2004 former Independent Challenger for CA Governor

Promoting marriage is not a proper role of government

The president announced his “Healthy Marriage” initiative-$1.5 billion protecting and promoting marriage, especially among poor, minority couples.

The money will be used to teach couples how to manage their conflicts in healthy ways, and yes, to fund
ad campaigns publicizing the value of getting hitched.

Now I’m not saying that helping married couples stay together is a bad thing. I’m just saying that it’s not a job for the federal government.

What makes the president’s proposal particularly
galling is that it’s being offered up by a politician who came into office attacking federal programs like the one he is proposing for being too intrusive. “I trust people,” said candidate Bush in 2000. “I don’t trust the federal government.”

Indeed the very people who have been complaining for decades that government programs are not the way to fight the war on poverty are now determined to use federal tax dollars to fight the war for matrimonial bliss.